I could see he was upset

Team India opener Abhishek Sharma credited his father and his family for playing a big role in helping him overcome failures during the T20 World Cup 2026. The southpaw revealed that his father even tried puja and paath (prayers) in the hope that it could help the cricketer change his poor luck in the ICC event.

Abhishek entered the T20 World Cup 2026 on a high, owing to his scintillating form with the willow. However, in a shocking turn of events, he registered ducks in his first three knocks. The southpaw then managed to score a half-century in the Super 8 match against Zimbabwe and also contributed a blazing fifty in the final.

Speaking at the India Today Conclave, Abhishek revealed that his father was upset over his poor form and tried things he had never done before. He stated:

“If you ask him now, he would probably say he wasn’t worried or tense, but he definitely was. I could see he was upset. He even tried everything – paath and puja, things he had probably never done before.

“He had seen me go through similar phases in junior cricket for India as well, so it was not easy for him or my family to watch me go through this phase. But the way they handled it was remarkable. They [family] came for all the games and tried to take me out to different places to keep my mind off things,” the Indian opener added.

Abhishek ended his T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with 141 runs in eight innings at an average of 17.62 and a strike rate of 158.42. The left-handed batter contributed a stunning 52 off 21 in the final against New Zealand.

Abhishek Sharma opens up on future goals after T20 World Cup 2026 triumph

Having played his role in India’s historic T20 World Cup 2026 victory, Abhishek admitted that he wants to become an all-format player for the country. Crediting his mentor Yuvraj Singh, he added that he will continue to follow the process and not think too much about the future. Abhishek commented:

“Obviously, the ultimate goal is to play all formats for India as much as I can. But I’ve stopped thinking too much about those things because they are not in my hands. I just want to follow the process I’ve been taught over the last two years by Yuvraj Singh… But of course, playing ODI cricket for India is also a dream if I get that opportunity.”

In 46 T20Is so far, Abhishek has scored 1,438 runs at an average of 33.44 and a strike rate of 190.46, with two hundreds and 10 half-centuries to his name.